The present invention relates generally to a woman's garment and, more particularly, to a woman's tank top which incorporates therein a floating shelf bra to provide support for a woman's bust.
With the recent popularity of women's tank tops and T-shirts and, in particular, woman's tank tops which include spagetti or other thinly configured shoulder straps for supporting the garment, such straps are not of sufficient width to conceal the shoulder straps of a conventional bra. As a result, a woman wearing such a top is forced to either forego wearing a bra, to wear a strapless bra or to wear a conventional bra and permit the straps thereof to be seen. Vanity, taste and modesty being what they are, women were heretofore, confronted with a somewhat difficult choice.
This difficult choice led to the creation of the instant invention--i.e., a tank top which includes as a part thereof, a floating shelf bra which provides support for the wearer yeat eleminates any problem relative to the visibility of the shoulder straps. Moreover, this incorporation of a suspended shelf bra within such garment offers a "natural" look rather than a "fitted" look.
The incorporation of a bra or other type of foundation or support within a woman's garment has been attempted in the past. For example insertion of bosom gores were shown in U.S. Pat. No. 183,016 which issued to C. H. Moeller on Oct. 10, 1876 and U.S. Pat. No. 338,024, which issued to W. H. Bilbrough on Mar. 16, 1886. See also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,250,094 which issued to C. A. Cornibert et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,823 which issued to B. Broadwin on Aug. 27, 1957; U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,914 which issued to A. Garson on Feb. 13, 1962; U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,514 which issued to R. Friedlander on Jan. 1, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 99,534 which issued to S. Stein on May 5, 1936; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 105,845, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 105,846 and Des. 105,847, all of which issued to D. Doctors on Aug. 31, 1937; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 236,171 which issued to H. W. Froehlich on Aug. 5, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 236,242 which issued to H. W. Froehlich on Aug. 12, 1975; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 232,602 which issued to I. Greenblatt et al on Sept. 3, 1974. All of these aforementioned patents disclose a molded or sewn in bra support in a woman's garment which cause or result in a tailored or fitted look to the garment. Current fashion design, particularly as it relates to woman garment tops, attempt to offer a softer more "natural" look.
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which includes a sewn in foundation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which includes an independently supported shelf bra therein.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which includes an independently supported, shirred, shelf bra therein.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which includes a floating or otherwise independently supported, shirred shelf bra which will not chaff the wearer.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which provides support for a woman's bust yet still offers a natural appearance.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a woman's tank top garment which includes independent means for supporting the wearer's bust yet can be readily manufactured.